Groundwater quality in the High Plains aquifer
MaryLynn Musgrove
2020, Fact Sheet 2019-3055
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water. The High Plains aquifer constitutes one of the important aquifers being evaluated....
Hydrologic monitoring networks in the Death Valley Regional Flow System, Nye County, Nevada and Inyo County, California
Steven R. Reiner, Peggy E. Elliott, Katherine J. Earp, Wayne R. Belcher
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3018
IntroductionWater is an important resource in the arid southwest region of the United States where there is a limited supply of surface water and groundwater. In the Death Valley regional groundwater flow system (DVRFS) in southern Nevada and eastern California, groundwater is the main source of supply for agricultural, commercial,...
Pyrrhotite distribution in the conterminous United States, 2020
Jeffrey L. Mauk, Thomas C. Crafford, John D. Horton, Carma A. San Juan, Robinson Jr.
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3017
In parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts, foundations of some homes are cracking and crumbling. Failing foundations can reduce the market value of a home and lifting a house to replace and repour a foundation is an expensive undertaking. In response, some homeowners are defaulting on their mortgages and abandoning their homes. The...
Water resources of Union Parish, Louisiana
Angela L. Robinson
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3002
Information concerning the availability, use, and quality of water in Union Parish, Louisiana, is critical for proper water-supply management. The purpose of this fact sheet is to present information that can be used by water managers, parish residents, and others for stewardship of this vital resource. In 2014, about 4.88...
A historical look at changing water quality in the Delaware River basin
Jennifer C. Murphy, Megan E. Shoda
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3007
In 2019 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched a pilot regional Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA) in the Delaware River Basin (fig. 1). IWAA is intended to explore, test, and refine systems and processes for assessing water availability for human and ecological uses and understanding their underlying controls. Water quality...
Pooling resources across organizations — Multisource water-quality data for the Delaware River Basin
Jennifer C. Murphy, Megan E. Shoda
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3006
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recently launched a pilot Integrated Water Availability Assessment (IWAA) in the Delaware River Basin to explore, test, and refine systems and processes for assessing water availability for human and ecological uses based on water monitoring data. Water-quality monitoring provides citizens, managers, and scientists with the...
Water-quality comparison of the Gulf Coast aquifer system at various scales in Texas from National Water-Quality Assessment groundwater studies, 2013–15
Patricia B. Ging
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3010
One of the objectives of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project is to assess groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water such as the coastal lowlands aquifer system, which is often referred to in Texas as the “Gulf Coast aquifer system.” The Gulf...
The 3D Elevation Program and energy for the Nation
Cindy A. Thatcher, Vicki Lukas, Jason M. Stoker
2020, Fact Sheet 2019-3051
High-resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) data are used in energy infrastructure siting, design, permitting, construction, and monitoring to promote public safety through the reduction of risks. For example, lidar data are used to identify safe locations for energy infrastructure by analyzing terrain parameters and identifying and evaluating geologic hazards...
Water-quality comparison of the Gulf Coast aquifer system and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in Texas from National Water-Quality Assessment Project Principal Aquifer Surveys, 2013 and 2015
Patricia B. Ging
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3009
The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assessed the quality of groundwater in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water in the United States. One major aquifer in Texas that was assessed by NAWQA in 2013 is the coastal lowlands aquifer system, which is often referred to...
U.S. Geological Survey science in support of the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat)
Brian E. Reichert, Suzanna C. Soileau
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3008
Bats make up one-fifth of all mammalian species worldwide and are found on every continent except Antarctica. They contribute to overall ecosystem health by suppressing pest insects and pollinating plants and spreading seeds. Eight North American bat species are listed as federally endangered or threatened, and more than one-half are...
A review of Cattail (Typha) invasion in North American wetlands
Sheel Bansal, Brian Tangen, Shane Lishawa, Sue Newman, Douglas Wilcox
2020, Fact Sheet 2019-3076
OverviewCattail (Typha) is an iconic emergent wetland plant found worldwide. By producing an abundance of wind-dispersed seeds, cattail can colonize wetlands across great distances, and its rapid growth rate, large size, and aggressive expansion result in dense stands in a variety of aquatic ecosystems such as marshes, ponds, lakes, and...
"Modified Unified Method" of carp capture
Duane Chapman
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3005
Populations of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (silver carp) and Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (bighead carp), (together referred to herein as “bigheaded carp”) have increased exponentially in the greater Mississippi River Basin. Detrimental effects on native fish and economically important fisheries have occurred where these invasive, filter-feeding fish are abundant. The Unified Method, a harvest...
Continuous nitrate monitoring in groundwater and potential contribution to surface-water nitrogen loads in Mason County, Illinois
Lance R. Gruhn, Greg M. Nalley
2020, Fact Sheet 2019-3064
Illinois has some of the most productive farmland in the country. The use of fertilizers to improve crop production has increased, which has resulted in an increase in the concentration of nitrogen in many streams and aquifers. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, is...
Assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources in the Central North Slope of Alaska, 2020
David W. Houseknecht, Katherine J. Whidden, Christopher D. Connors, Richard O. Lease, Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, William A. Rouse, Palma J. Botterell, Rebecca A. Smith, Margaret M. Sanders, William H. Craddock, Christina A. DeVera, Christopher P. Garrity, Marc L. Buursink, C. Ozgen Karacan, Samuel J. Heller, Thomas E. Moore, Julie A. Dumoulin, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Katherine L. French, Cheryl A. Woodall, Ronald M. Drake II, Kristen R. Marra, Thomas M. Finn, Scott A. Kinney, Chilisa M. Shorten
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3001
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 3.6 billion barrels of oil and 8.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (associated and nonassociated) in conventional accumulations in Mississippian through Paleogene strata in the central North Slope of Alaska....
U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Science Center
Stephen H. Hickman
2020, Fact Sheet 2019-3067
The mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Science Center is to collect a wide range of data on earthquakes, faults, and crustal deformation; conduct research to increase our understanding of earthquake source processes, occurrence, and effects; and synthesize this knowledge into probabilistic seismic hazard assessments, aftershock forecasts, and...
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Ordovician Collingwood Formation and Utica Shale of the Michigan Basin Province, 2019
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Thomas M. Finn, Phuong A. Le, Michael E. Brownfield, Kristen R. Marra, Geoffrey S. Ellis
2020, Fact Sheet 2020-3027
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 290 milllion barrels of shale oil and 7.9 trillion cubic feet of shale gas in the Ordovician Collingwood-Utica Shale Total Petroleum System of the Michigan Basin Province....
Wildland Fire Science — Supporting wildland fire and land management
Paul F. Steblein, Mark P. Miller, Suzanna C. Soileau
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3025
The U.S. Geological Survey's Wildland Fire Science Program produces fundamental information to identify the causes of wildfires, understand the impacts and benefits of both wildfires and prescribed fires, and help prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events. Our fire scientists provide information and develop tools that are widely used by stakeholders...
Effects of surface-water use on domestic groundwater availability and quality during drought in the Sierra Nevada foothills, California
Zeno F. Levy, Miranda S. Fram, Kimberly A. Taylor
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3077
BackgroundApproximately 2 million California residents rely on privately owned domestic wells for drinking water. During the California drought of 2012−16 groundwater levels declined in many parts of the state and wells were deepened in response. Most of the wells deepened during this time were domestic wells that were drilled into...
Managed aquifer recharge in snow-fed river basins: What, why and how?
Kelley Sterle, Wesley Kitlasten, Eric D. Morway, Richard G. Niswonger, Loretta Singletary
2019, Fact Sheet 19-10
What does climate change mean for snow-fed river basins?Climate change poses unique challenges in snow-fed river basins across the western United States because the majority of water supply originates as snow (Dettinger, Udall, & Georgakakos, 2015). In the Sierra Nevada, recent observations include changes in snow accumulation and snowmelt, and...
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Shales of the eastern Arabian Peninsula, 2019
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Cheryl A. Woodall, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Thomas M. Finn, Michael E. Brownfield, Kristen R. Marra, Phuong A. Le, Ronald M. Drake II, Scott A. Kinney
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3071
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 5.6 billion barrels of oil and 109.1 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Jurassic Hanifa-Tuwaiq Total Petroleum System of the Arabian Peninsula....
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in Jurassic Posidonia Shales of Greece and Albania, 2019
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Marilyn E. Tennyson, Thomas M. Finn, Cheryl A. Woodall, Michael E. Brownfield, Kristen R. Marra, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller, Phuong A. Le, Ronald M. Drake II
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3075
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 118 million barrels of continuous oil and 170 billion cubic feet of continuous gas in the Jurassic Posidonia Shale Total Petroleum System of western Greece and southern Albania....
Assessment of coal resources and reserves in the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert assessment area, Greater Green River Basin, Wyoming
Brian N. Shaffer, Paul E. Pierce, Scott A. Kinney, Ricardo A. Olea, James A. Luppens
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3053
The assessment of the Little Snake River coal field and Red Desert area covers approximately 2,300 square miles in the eastern portion of the Greater Green River Basin in south-central Wyoming. Coal-bearing formations are present throughout the Eocene, Paleocene, and Cretaceous strata in the assessment area. Paleogene-age coal beds are...
U.S. Geological Survey EDMAP Program—Training the next generation of geologic mappers
Abby Ackerman, Darcy McPhee
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3059
Detailed geologic maps are the basis of nearly every Earth-science investigation and can be used for natural hazard mitigation, resource identification and exploration, infrastructure planning, and more. A component of the congressionally mandated National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, EDMAP is a partnership among the U.S. Geological Survey, the Association of...
Glacier retreat in Glacier National Park, Montana
Caitlyn Florentine
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3068
Currently, the volume of land ice on Earth is decreasing, driving consequential changes to global sea level and local stream habitat. Glacier retreat in Glacier National Park, Montana, U.S.A., is one example of land ice loss and glacier change. The U.S. Geological Survey Benchmark Glacier Project conducts glaciological research and...
Assessment of continuous oil and gas resources in the Mississippian Delle Phosphatic Member of the Woodman Formation in the Eastern Great Basin Province of Nevada, Utah, and Idaho, 2019
Christopher J. Schenk, Tracey J. Mercier, Thomas M. Finn, Kristen R. Marra, Phuong A. Le, Michael E. Brownfield, Heidi M. Leathers-Miller
2019, Fact Sheet 2019-3062
Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean resources of 144 million barrels of shale oil and 559 billion cubic feet of shale gas in the Mississippian Delle Phosphatic Member of the Woodman Formation in the Eastern Great Basin Province of Nevada, Utah, and Idaho....
